On May 29, Brittany Watkins of Henderson, North Carolina, landed a 6-pound, 8-ounce saugeye from the Virginia portion of Lake Gaston. Watkins caught the trophy-sized fish with a crankbait. The fish measured 25 1/4 inches, with a girth of 14 1/2 inches, and was officially weighed at Bobcat’s Bait & Tackle in Clarksville, Virginia. After biologist verification and review by the State Record Committee, Watkins’ catch was certified and is now recognized as the current Virginia state record saugeye.
Saugeye is a member of the perch family. This species is a hybrid created by crossing a female walleye with a male sauger. Saugeye were first stocked in Virginia in 2013.
